- Employer Resources
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- Last Updated: April 14, 2021
3 Ways Manufacturers Can Create a More Inviting Company Culture
Over the past decade, defining and continually refining company culture has become vital for peak hiring and employee retention practices in most industries, including manufacturing.
You might wonder why it’s so important to learn how to create a company culture in manufacturing. As in most industries, your manufacturing business is competing for talented and motivated professionals who want to commit to your organization.
Today’s manufacturing professionals frequently want employers to offer more than a paycheck and health insurance benefits. They want a sense of culture and community to grow, learn, communicate, and advance among peers and leaders who care about their contributions.
If you are planning to fine-tune your approach to hiring manufacturing professionals, consider enhancing your manufacturing company culture in these three ways.
1. Break the Stigmas About Manufacturing Workplaces
It’s no secret that the manufacturing sector has faced image problems in its long history, and has often been stigmatized as an industry that doesn’t value workers and their well-being. It’s also not uncommon to hear about workers pulling notoriously long shifts — 12 or more hours — with less-than-optimal conditions.
Further, the rise in automation technology may cause staff to feel less valued. For example, employees who traditionally have worked on the factory floor might now perform their job from a computer. Employers need to reassure employees and manufacturing job candidates that their work will continue to provide value, despite the influx of technology.
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Let your employees and prospects know that your organization views them as a critical part of the team – show them recognition, lay out clear career paths, and help them strike a better work/life balance. These actions will improve your company’s overall image and your employer brand.
2. Engage Employees in Process Improvement
Your employees understand what works and what doesn’t. Make sure to ask them for their input on your processes by creating an open-door policy which allows them to provide feedback.
If you hold regular meetings, proactively invite employees to provide ideas for operational improvements. Ask employees to offer honest insights and suggestions without concern that anyone will be offended. Let them know that all thoughts and opinions are welcome and considered based on feasibility and how they may benefit your company culture.
Staying open to employees’ ideas for improvement helps you better understand industry trends, while gauging the ever-evolving needs and desires of manufacturing professionals.
3. Encourage Cross-Departmental Connections
In more traditional manufacturing environments, employees and managers mostly interact during lunch breaks in the cafeteria. Building a better manufacturing company culture means engaging everyone and ensuring their days aren’t spent in drudgery on an assembly line. It’s essential to provide opportunities to build positive working relationships and an overall warm and welcoming community.
A few examples of things you can do to foster connections include:
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Host afternoon team-building sessions once a month, such as problem-solving games where teams from different departments work together. You can make the games word puzzles or ask people to construct items related to products you manufacture.
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Offer interactive training and learning sessions with lab portions where employees can discuss the lessons and apply them to their specific work.
Anything you can do to make your manufacturing company more warm, inclusive, and inviting will help you attract the best manufacturing job candidates while reducing employee turnover.
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